Taking Off
by SoraxRiku13
Summary: Takes place in the RB universe. Scarlet and Vanitas are complicated. Everything about them is complicated. So of course their lives have to be complicated too. Scarnitas/AkuRoku/RayKai. Rated M for sexual references and cursing
1. Stuck in the Same Routine

_**Ok, so im reuploading the first chapter because its been so long since I first uploaded this. Now that im done with Refrain Boy and took time off from writing, i want to continue this story. Like I probably mentioned already, this is gonna go a different route compared to RB so prepare yourselves.**_

 _ **Anyways, I do hope you enjoy this story!**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me. Rayne belongs to the lovely** Arisa Kiryuu. **Scarlet, however, belongs to me.**_

* * *

 _Scarlet_

"Scar~"

"If you're going to bring that up again, Axel, I will end you."

"Jeez, you don't even know what I was gonna say." I sighed, lowering the volume on the TV, and turned to look at him standing at the kitchen entrance. "Wanna help me make a cake for Vanitas since it is his birthday. It'll be a birthday surprise from the both of us!"

"The hell? We don't even have birthday presents for him. Besides, I think I remember him saying he doesn't like surprises."

"I can think of one birthday present for him." He winked at me as he said that and I felt the blood rush to my face.

"If I had thought of helping you, you can forget about it now, jerk face."

"Aww come on, don't be like that." I ignored him. "Scar, I'm sorryyy, please help meee."

"No."

"This'll bound to make his day, don't you care about that?"

"No."

"Ouch, so whatever you two have going on is just purely carnal, gotcha." I got the closest pillow and threw it at him but it fell down just short from where he was standing. "Look, Scar… Vanitas says he doesn't like surprises but he actually really does. He's just like that one anime term you and Sora use often."

"Tsundere?"

"Bingo! That's the one!" I tried not to laugh but my composure was starting to crack. "You're allowed to laugh, woman." _Goddamn it!_

"Fine, I'll help you make the damn cake." I stood up, turning off for the TV as I headed into the kitchen. I stopped cold in my tracks as I saw just how much disaster one man could make. "The hell happened here?! Did a fucking tornado just come through here or something?! How the fuck is it possible that you just did this right now?!" He grinned like a child.

"That's why I wanted your help! You should know I can't do anything in the kitchen without making a mess!"

"Oh my god Axel, go get the broom or something. We can't do shit in a place like this." I got whatever was available and clean to start working on the cake while I had Axel do all the cleaning around me. He came back, wearing a bandanna to hold back his hair, a strange apron I don't even know where he got from, gloves and a face mask. "I want you to clean but I need to ask… what the ever loving fuck are you wearing?"

"I thought it'd be funny to wear this." Seven years. He's older by seven years but I swear he's like a five year old sometimes.

"So, when does Vanitas get back?"

"He said he'd be here late. So like…" He turned to look at the time, "Probably almost midnight."

"Where'd he go this time?"

"Somethin' about a wedding I think? I'm not sure, didn't really pay attention."

"Some help you are."

"Hey, at least I care about his happiness!" I shot him a glare.

"Would you care to explain what exactly you mean about that?"

"Nope. Just gonna keep doing my thing here." Axel went silent for a while as I finished up with the cake batter and got the oven ready. "Hey, Scar…" I turned to look at him, letting him know I was listening to whatever he needed to say. "Ever feel like…" He scratched the back of his head, "… you know what, forget I said anything."

"You ok, Ax?"

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine. Let's finish this cake!" I didn't believe him one bit but I let the subject go. We continued with what we were doing. Axel finished with cleaning and then helped me by placing the cake batter in the oven. During the time we waited, we debated over what or how to decorate it. We were far from experts in pastries, unlike Kairi, but I at least knew the basics. That and my handwriting is legible, even if it is in cursive.

The hours passed and we didn't realize just how late it really was. It wasn't until we heard Vanitas walking up the stairs outside our apartment with his keys dangling. We hurried to clean ourselves up and turn off the lights, waiting patiently for him to come inside.

He walked in silently, leaving his things on the couch, and started to make his way into the kitchen. That's when Axel and I turned on the kitchen lights and jumped out.

"SURPRISE!"

"JESUS FUCKING CHRIST! DO YOU TWO WANT ME TO HAVE A FUCKING HEART ATTACK?!" He had his hand over his heart, gripping at his shirt. Axel was the only one to burst out laughing.

"Your face was priceless oh my god!" He toppled over, tears forming in his eyes as he continued to laugh.

"I oughta punch you, you bastard! You know I don't like surprises! I'm more surprised you got Scar to play along!"

"I was more forced but ok. You should've seen the kitchen before I helped him." I shrugged and waited for Axel to stop laughing. "Anyways, enough of that. It's your birthday so we made you a cake." I held out the cake which was covered in chocolate frosting and had _Happy 23rd Birthday Vani_ written on it.

"The both of you made this?"

"Yeah!"

"No." Vanitas turned to look at me. "I made it. Axel helped me clean. Though it was his idea." I saw him look at the cake in front of him again and I swear, even if just a glimpse, I saw him smile softly. "We only made you a cake though. We didn't get you any presents."

"I thought of one but Scar threw a pillow at me before I could even say what it was." _Don't ask just please don't as-_

"What were you thinking of then?" _Dammit._

"I just thought Scarlet should be the one to give you a gift if you know what I mean." I wanted to leave, just lock myself in my room and hide from everyone. _That_ was the only thing Axel will never let me forget. Vanitas continued the conversation nonchalantly.

"If she doesn't want to then leave her alone, bro. I'm fine with just the cake to be honest." We both looked at each other, coming to a silent agreement.

"Ok~" Axel sat down on one of our chairs for the dining table we had. "So, we gonna eat that or are you two just gonna stand there and undress each other with your eyes?" I quickly looked away, placing the cake on the table and going into the kitchen to get plates and forks. We ended up staying up till after midnight just talking and joking around.

~•~

I found myself laying down next to Vanitas on his bed after I woke up. I quickly sat up, realizing I wasn't fully clothed. I tried to recollect what happened after we all went to sleep. I clearly remember going to my room but I keep drawing a blank after that. I felt the body next to me start to stir and I tried to get up and leave quickly.

I _tried_ because as soon as I was going to, I felt a hand grab my wrist….

"Where you off to in such a hurry?" He opened one of his eyes slightly and looked at me.

"I've got class today. I shouldn't be here in the first place anyways."

"But we had so much fun last night~" Even though most of his face was covered by his pillow, I could still see the smirk form on his lips.

"Too bad I don't remember any of it." I deadpanned and glanced at him. He turned his face towards the pillow and I noticed his smirk was replaced by a frown. He let go of me and didn't say anything after that.

In all honesty, I felt my head pulsing the entire day. I couldn't even concentrate in class. I stalled on my way home, not really wanting to listen to Axel alluding to whatever relationship Van and I had and not really wanting to deal with Vanitas either.

I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. I took it out to check who was calling me. _Rayne?_

"Hey, what's up?"

"I'm at the apartment to pick up a few things." There was a quick pause. "Vani's brooding…" I sighed. "Did something happen?"

"Um… Not really."

"Tell me."

"Don't wanna talk about it right now."

"… where are you right now?"

"I'm just walking around. Still nearby the university."

"You wanna... meet up at Kai's place? We can talk there." I sighed again.

"Ok, sure. See you there then." I hung up quickly. I was trying very hard to remember what exactly happened last night but the more I kept thinking about it, the more my head hurt. I wasn't one to give up easily but I couldn't stand the headache any longer.

I stood in front of Kairi's apartment, waiting patiently for a reply from Ray to see if she was here already. I loved Kairi, I really did. But I didn't want her knowing about this part of my personal life. I finally saw Rayne appear from the corner of my eye.

"Have you been waiting long?" I shook my head.

"I just got here actually." I saw relief wash over her face as she opened the front door.

"Kai isn't here so we can talk freely." She motioned me to sit down on the sofa. "So, go on. Tell me why Vani is all broody."

"Honestly, I don't even know." I looked away but my headache was worsening, making me flinch slightly.

"Hey, you ok..?" She sat closer, waiting for me to answer.

"I've…" I took a deep breath before continuing. "Lately I've been having a hard time remembering about certain things. Something like that happened earlier and I may have hurt Van's feelings because of it."

"Details, Scar. Stop beating around the bush." I stared at Rayne. She may be my best friend but it doesn't really make talking about this any easier. Especially after she actually happened to walk in on Vanitas and I doing _that._ I felt mortified when I found out she did.

"I… We were celebrating Van's birthday yesterday and everything went well. When I woke up though, I was in Van's room with hardly any clothes on and I don't remember why I was there or what happened." Rayne started to fidget slightly but waited for me to continue. "Vani said something but I shot him down almost immediately and I haven't really talked to him all day after that."

"You two are hopeless."

"What?"

"No, it's nothing. So nothing serious had happened then?"

"Like I said, not sure."

"Woman, stop running away." I was stunned. _What?_ I had absolutely no idea what she meant but it was clear she wasn't going to explain.

"I'm… gonna go home now then… bye Ray." She leaned forward and gave me a hug.

"You'll figure something out, hun. I'm sure of it." She let me go and I gave her a smile. When I stood up, however, everything around me begin spinning. I felt my body fall and all I remembered after was darkness surrounding me.

* * *

 _ **Please leave a review! I'd much appreciate it!**_


	2. My Demons

**_Hi!_**

 ** _So at first, my intentions were to space this out, like update once a week buuuuut I'd rather just update as I go. So here's chapter 2!_**

 ** _DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me. Rayne belongs to the lovely_** _Arisa Kiryuu. **Scarlet belongs to me though.**_

* * *

 _Vanitas_

"Vani. Vaniiii. Hrm… Axel! What's wrong with Vani?" I heard as Rayne left my room, not bothering to get out from under the pile of blankets I had made to even look at her. My mind was too preoccupied to care. I could hear Axel and Ray talking but couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Vani, I came here to pick up a few things but I also wanted to spend time with you and Axel, dammit. Get your ass out of bed."

"Go away, Ray. I don't feel like leaving my room today." I could tell she was pouting without having to see her.

"… Axel!" I heard her walk out of my room again. In a matter of seconds I heard someone else walk in and felt them grab on to a side of my pile and pulled hard, causing me to fall of the bed.

"GOD FUCK! THE FUCKING HELL, AXEL?!"

"Raindrop wants to spend time with us so we're going to spend time with her. Stop moping and get over whatever problem you're having."

"Leave me the fuck alone."

"No, now get changed and come out quickly."

"Fuck off." I saw Axel stop in his tracks and turn around, quickly making his way towards me.

"I am not in the mood for this right now. Normally I would leave you the fuck alone but this is Rayne we're talking about. Don't make me force your broody ass out of your room because you know I'm capable of doing it." I groaned and started to get off the floor.

"Is Scarlet back yet…?"

"No and I don't think she'll be here any time soon. Why, did something happen?" I ignored him and started to look for something to wear, waiting for him to leave my room. I ended up with my black slightly torn jeans and a plain dark gray t-shirt. I walked out to see Ray and Axel waiting for me in the living room with the television and the Xbox turned on.

I wasn't aware of anything that was going on around me. Axel and Rayne kept a conversation going as we all played, but I constantly spaced out, thinking about Scarlet and nothing else. I couldn't understand why she had acted so coldly to me in the morning. She knew we didn't do anything last night, or at least I thought she did. Sure, the situation definitely pointed to it but that was it. Maybe I came on too strong..

 _She's been acting strange lately though_.

I wanted to talk to her.

I wanted to fix this.

By the time my thoughts returned to reality, I noticed the TV as off and Rayne was gone. Instead, I was greeted with emerald green eyes that were glaring at me.

"Raindrop left a few minutes ago. You know it's rude to ignore your guests, right?"

"Shut the fuck up, Axel. You knew I was in no mood to do anything today. At least Rayne would've left me alone."

"Dude, ok, what the fuck is your problem? What happened?"

"Don't really want to talk about it."

"Like hell you won't. Come on."

"…. Have you noticed Scar acting a little weird lately…?"

"Hm.. describe weird cuz I can say you're acting weird right now." I glared at him before answering.

"…. She went to my room during the night. We didn't even do anything but sleep. She… this morning she acted as if I did something to her without her permission. She was so cold to me. It.. it hurt so much…" I let out a bitter laugh. "I don't get it. It's not like we're actually together so why does it still hurt..?" Axel stiffened slightly and looked away.

"Well.. that's certainly strange. Scar isn't like that usually."

"I know.. She's usually honest. Like.. if she's not happy with our current relationship, she can just end it. I'm just not understanding any of it.."

"Ok, Van. You may be overthinking things." Axel stood up suddenly and looked at me with a devilish grin. "So let's get you out of here and do something. It's starting to get dark out and we haven't eaten so what do you say?"

"I already told you I just want to stay home."

"Nope, you're coming with me whether you like it or not." I didn't even get a chance to say anything back because I was already being lifted and thrown over his shoulder.

"Put me the fuck down, Axel!" I couldn't help but flail my arms and legs around in an attempt to get him to put me down, trying to aim at places that could temporary disable him. Nothing worked so I just slumped and let him take me wherever he had planned.

Once inside his car, I did not stop glaring at the red head beside me.

"Don't burn a hole in me with your intense staring, bro. Not ideal for my good looks." I scoffed at him.

"What good looks, ass wipe?"

"Obviously the ones that got you to have sex with me back in college."

"I thought we agreed to not bring that up."

"Honestly, what's your problem for not wanting to talk about it? It's not like being fuck buddies is so wrong." Axel paused for a moment. "Wait, does Scar not know about that?" I turned to look outside the window, ignoring his question. "Boy, you're gonna have to tell her someday."

"I know that.." We both remained silent after that, with the radio being the only noise inside the car. "So.. where are we going?"

"We're gonna get food. I did tell you that, right?"

"I meant _where_. As in a specific place."

"Merlin's. The food there is _magical._ I'm surprised you've never been there."

"You know this place better than me and you always find something new everyday too. I don't even know how you do it." I watched him grin only slightly, his attention never leaving the road. "How much longer till we get there anyways?"

"Dude, it's been like ten minutes. We're almost there."

"Yeah, but _how much longer?_ "

"Just keep your fine ass on that seat till we get there. Don't rush perfection, i.e. me."

"Oh shut the fuck up. I swear I will jump out of this car if you say something like that again."

"Heh. Oh, we're here!" The place itself didn't look all that bad, just a typical fast food place. That wasn't the case when we entered though. The staff were all dressed as wizards, like actual huge ass robes and those pointy hats. We went up to the cashier, whose name so happened to be Arthur, and Axel ordered for the both of us. I had honestly felt bad for the kid, being forced to wear such a ridiculous outfit.

I quickly sat at a table nearby, waiting for Axel to finish up getting our drinks. All this was actually reminding me of my first year in college. Axel and I used to always go out, just the two of us. Except back then, it was bars and clubs and all that shit. Now, well, we didn't do that anymore. Well, besides the fact that Ma had sent Ventus over to keep us on track.

Farewell parties.

Welcome pain.

It wasn't all that bad though. Thanks to him, I actually managed to graduate. I guess its also thanks to him that Scar was able to stay with me and Ax.

There I went again, thinking about her. Thankfully, Axel sat down in front of me and distracted me from my thoughts.

"Got our food. Dig in." I unwrapped the burger that Axel placed in front of me and took a bite from it. This could be my completely empty stomach talking but hell, these were absolutely delicious.

Yes, they were magical.

I was about done with my food until I felt my phone start to vibrate. "Rayne?" Axel looked up and motion me to answer. "Hello..?"

" _Vani, get here now! Please hurry!"_

"Wait wait wait wait, what's going on? Are you ok?"

" _I'm fine! Just get here! Scar just collapsed!"_ I felt the blood drain from my face as soon as I heard those words.

"Alright, we're on our way right now." I hung up, sat still for a few seconds until I felt panic start to develop in me. "We need to go now."

"What happened?"

"Its Scar, dammit! We need to go now!" I could see my vision begin to blur and my throat start to burn, my body starting to tremble.

We quickly made our way to the car and drove off to Ray's house.

~•~

I sat quietly beside Rayne, waiting to hear about Scarlet. I couldn't remember anything between the phone call and arriving to the hospital so Axel was the one taking care of things, besides the fact that they were family.

My anxiety had taken the better of me and I could not do a damn thing to help. I felt so useless.

"Hey, Vani.. everything's gonna be ok. Look, Axel's coming back now." I looked up, watching as Axel walked closer. "So is she ok?"

"Yeah.. she's just been having too much stress lately and I guess it overwhelmed her body. At least that's what the doctor said. She's actually awake now but I don't suggest seeing her at this moment. Especially you, Vanitas. It'd be best to go home and rest. We can come back tomorrow, you know." I felt like I was drowning in anxiety, drowning in guilt.

 _It was probably my fault that Scarlet has been stressed enough for this to happen to her._

The entire ride home was silent, no one dared speak. As soon as we did get home though, I walked straight into my room and locked it, ignoring the conversation between the two behind me.

I fell to the floor, still trying to wrap my mind around everything that happened today. It's been a while since I've had my anxiety act up. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move. I wanted to die and just like that, these thoughts began invading my head again.

"You're the one who makes everything ok, you're the one who takes all of the pain away… Now you're not even here to save me from becoming my demons tonight…"

* * *

 _ **And there you go lol**_

 ** _I got stuck writing this chapter months ago. Now I can finally relax cuz I got the finish and post it._**

 ** _Anyways, thank you to_** _Arisa_ ** _and_** _Amarxlen **for reviewing chapter 1! And also to that one guest reviewer ;)**_

 _ **Please leave a review! I'd love to know what you thought of this chapter!**_

 _ **:))))))))**_


	3. Problem

_**AND HI AGAIN.**_

 _ **SO I finally got around to finishing this chapter! I'm super happy lol I don't really have much to say so enjoy~**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy and The World Ends With You content does not belong to me. The lovely Rayne belongs to** Arisa Kiryuu. **Scarlet is definitely mine tho.**_

* * *

 _Scarlet_

Hospitals.

For as long as I can remember, I have always hated them even if I've never been in one before.

Maybe because my father always avoided them when I was younger, yet he never really told me why. I just assumed it had something to do with my mother.

Now, however, I was in a hospital room and trying to remember why was a problem. It was quiet and a bit dark in here making the beeping of the machine I was hooked up to becoming ten times more annoying by the second. I honestly just wanted to get up and leave. The only reason I stayed was because Axel was sleeping on a chair across from the bed.

"Axel." He looked up quickly. "Oh, I thought you were asleep." I raised my bed enough to be able to sit up.

"I just had my eyes closed but I'm pretty much awake."

"What am I doing here?"

"….Don't you remember fainting at Ray's place?"

"….Everything's kind of blur right now to be honest…"

"Hm… Well I'll go get the doctor and know you're awake now."

"Hey, tell me how long I was here first."

"Just a few hours." He walked out and returned with a doctor.

"Well, we're certainly glad you're awake. How do you feel?"

"A bit uncomfortable and confused."

"To be expected. Your friends brought you in because you had fainted and wouldn't wake up. We did some tests and it looks like you've been having too much stress lately. Any idea what's causing it?" I shook my head. "Well… you're going to have to stay here for the night just so we can be sure you're going to be okay." He turned to Axel. "Well, I'll leave you and your brother alone now. Get plenty of rest and relax while you can."

"You said you were my brother?"

"Well, we are siblings, right?"

"We have different parents."

"We're still family, Scar." I looked away and ignored him because yes, we were family. But there were times that something felt off about us, something that didn't quite add up. We grew up together. We shared the same last name.

But…

It's almost as if he didn't belong…

And it pained me to think so.

"… well yeah, we are." I looked back at him and gave him a smile. "Um… is Vanitas here too..?"

"No. It's just Raindrop and I." I felt relieved but at the same moment.. it wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"Oh.. Okay then." I lowered the bed back down and closed my eyes. The headache started to return again but it wasn't as bad anymore. "Axel, can you please leave? I.. I want to be alone."

"Oh? Do you want me to come back?"

"Axel. Leave."

"Ok ok, I get the hint. I'm gonna leave now. Anything you want me to do?"

"Yeah, leave. Now." I watched him shrug and walk away without saying another word.

~•~

It's been a week since I was able to go home. My life had quickly returned to the same routine, home then school then home again. Except something, or rather _someone_ , was missing from my life at the moment.

I haven't seen Vanitas since the morning after his birthday.

He wasn't even there when I was released from the hospital so Axel had to be the one to pick me up.

I didn't know how to feel in all honesty. It wasn't like I was actually in love with Vanitas. Our relationship was merely a physical one which meant emotions weren't involved. I preferred it that way, hell, we both did.

 _Yet why do I feel like this?_

Did I really have my head in the clouds right now?

I should be wiser and realize that I've got one less problem without him.

I had been trying to ask Axel about Vanitas and where he was but all he would say is "I don't know" and "he was gone by the time I noticed." By now, it was starting to irritate me so I did the only logical thing I could think of and decided to disappear for one or two days.

After all, living as stress free as possible was exactly what the doctor ordered.

I opted for leaving my phone behind and simply grabbed my keys, deciding to go to the outskirts of the city. "I heard there was an old castle not to far from the city. Might as well check it out."

It took me hours just to reach the gardens of this city but luckily the gates to the outside weren't very far and the weather had remained cool throughout the day. The gates, however, were locked when I got there. It was expected though, since nobody came through here anymore.

It wasn't hard to jump over the gates. It felt liberating just leave, see the city get farther behind me, feel the chilling air run through me, listen to the waterfalls around me, know how dangerous it could be outside the city and on my own…

It exhilarated me for some strange reason. Almost as if this was the life I was meant for.

Sunlight began to hide away much faster as night began to cover the area with its darkness. I looked up at the sea of stars. This was not something I saw often, it reminded me of the nights back at the Islands. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, all while listening to the roar of the waterfalls

I started to miss home, miss the simple days of my childhood. Now, I had doubts. Now, I had worries. Now, I was no longer as carefree as I was before.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I heard rocks tumbling off the cliffs nearby. I had been feeling someone following me for quite some time but I ignored it until now, hoping it was just in my mind.

"Who's there?!" No one replied yet the uneasiness in my body began to creep out. I felt movement to the side of me and jumped away fairly quickly, trying to focus on the person hiding in the shadows. "Who are you?" The figure moved back and, before I could even react, they were gone.

I kept walking forward, hoping to find the castle ruins soon. I now knew I wasn't alone anymore and the faster I got out of here, the better it would be. I soon found the ruins. They were a mixture of several contraptions and strange architecture making me stand and marvel at its uniqueness. At least until I heard footsteps behind me.

"Shit."

I was truly on my own right now but it wasn't the moment to think about trivial things. I looked behind me and then back to the castle before starting to sprint towards the it.

This was seriously the opposite of stress free.

I managed to make my way inside, always looking behind me just to make sure I wasn't found again. I still had adrenaline pumping through my body as I analyzed every single thing inside the castle. I was so positive that no one has been here in a long time yet everything looked like it wasn't touched by the cruel hands of time.

Someone had to be maintaining things here.

I went though the first door that was closest to me, quietly peaking inside to make sure it was safe. It turned out to be a library full to the brim with books. So many questions started to pop into my head, questions I did not have answers to.

What had me much more confused, however, was the fact that even these books were very well maintained.

"Maybe there's something here that can answer at least some questions I have." I looked farther into the library and saw how many bookshelves there was. "… maybe after checking out the rest of this castle."

I spent the entire night wandering around the castle, even finding secret paths here and there. I found my way into a long dark corridor, one that had absolutely no purpose. I reached the end of it and noticed it led to nowhere, making it seem so out of place.

"You know, you shouldn't be here." _Wait, that voice!_ I quickly turned around to see a figure in the shadows, probably the same one from before. This time, however, they didn't run away. "Scar, why are you even here?" They walked out into the light and saw the one person I did not expect.

"…Dad?"

* * *

 _ **Ooooooh so what'd you guys think?**_

 _ **I'm glad for those who have reviewed my first two chapters. You guys make my day.**_

 _ **So please! Let me know your thoughts on this one and leave me a review~**_


	4. Save Me

_**hi yes its me again after disappearing for several months**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, FinalFantasy and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me. Rayne belongs to the lovely** Arisa Kiryuu **and Scarlet belongs to me~**_

* * *

 _Vanitas_

There were so many events going on right now, from weddings to family gatherings, especially since it was the holidays. Though it was strange that I was called for family gatherings…. I guess they wanted to remember this?

 _They seriously coulda done it themselves._

Whatever, people were weird and this was only my job, but I was happy because having this many people actually call me and pay me for this meant they saw and liked my work or were referred to me by others who did as well.

But I really didn't want to be here…

I needed to be home right now; I needed to see Scarlet.

Even if she doesn't want to see me-

"Hey, asshole. It's bad enough I have Sora moping around. I don't need you doing the same." Roxas interrupted my thoughts as he walked into his and Sora's apartment, dropping his messenger bag on the coffee table in front of me and heading straight into the kitchen. He walked back into the living room with a soda in his hand and flopped on the seat next to me. "So how long are you staying?

"Should be like a week or two.."

"Then this should be fine. Sora and I are very rarely ever home at the same time though and lately, Sora hasn't really been out much. He just stays in his room and watches anime. I think he even turned off his phone completely."

 _No wonder Sora and Scarlet get along so well._ I sighed and closed my eyes.

"Vanitas. You look like hell, to be honest. Is everything ok?"

"Everything's just dandy. Why, is my dear brother worried about me?" Roxas dully stared at me. "…. A-anyways, where _is_ Sora anyways?"

"You're avoiding the question but whatever." He took a sip from his soda before responding. "Sora's still at the university actually."

"Ah, of course.." I couldn't help feeling a bit awkward right now and, by the looks of it, Roxas was feeling the same. We ended up sitting there in silence for a while until my phone began ringing, startling the both of us and causing Roxas to spill some soda on himself. I heard him curse under his breath before leaving to the bathroom.

"What's up Axel?"

"Where you at? You just disappeared."

"Work. Where else?"

"Ok, but _where_?"

"Do you need to know?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Can't say."

"Asshole."

"Look, if you're in Twilight Town with Roxie, tell me. I gotta talk to him."

"Why?"

"I don't need to tell you."

"Uh yeah you do. I'm his brother."

"Look, just tell him I need to talk to him." I felt like Axel was hiding something from me but I couldn't ask him because as soon as I felt like he was going to hang up, only one question came out of my mouth.

"Does Scarlet want to see me?" There was silence. I had to check if the bastard hadn't hung up on me or something until I heard his reply.

"No." The beeping coming from the phone soon after was unwanted.

I hated this.

I hate having to go through this again, of having this tension between the three of us. Almost as if history was repeating itself yet again..

This whole situation with Scarlet made me want to grab a time machine and return to the point in our lives before things changed between the two of us, return to that one day during summer vacation when we had all gone back home to visit.

None of this was planned, all these complications-

"Vanitas, I swear to god you really need to stop moping or ima beat your ass."

"And you better not fucking scare me like that again! The fuck did you come from?!"

"Room, changing cuz _someone_ caused my soda to spill on me." He eyed me as he walked towards me. "Who was it?" I debated whether to tell him the truth or lie.

"… It was Axel."

"What'd he want?"

"Said he needed to talk to you bout something. Though I've been wanting to ask… Is there something going on between the two of you?" I saw him stiffen and look away, a tint of red or his cheeks.

"N-no. We're just friends."

"I'm gonna pretend I believe that. But if there is, tell me."

"You don't have to know everything just because you're the older brother. I'm 20, for fuck's sake, and I can make my own decisions."

"Yo, calm down there. I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life, dumbass. But anyways, I gotta go to work now so see ya later."

"W-wait, Vanitas…" I turned to look at Roxas, "I've.. actually been thinking of transferring to Radiant University.."

"… just as long as you do it for the right reasons, Roxas. But let's talk more about this later, that ok?" I walked out to leave him with his thoughts and headed off to a wedding I was contracted for.

~•~

It was almost the end of the second week and I was nearly about to lose it. Mainly because every time I tried to call Scarlet, I was sent straight to voicemail. I was suddenly free tonight because the party I was called for was canceled. I had tried getting Sora out of his room but he was being excessively stubborn and kept in making excuses to stay in.

It was early evening now and I felt so bored in this apartment. Roxas hadn't come home yet and I was actually hoping I'd be able to talk to him more about what his… relationship with Axel.

Before I knew it though, I had let my mind wander. Thoughts of her ran through it. Images of her rare and beautiful smile plagued me. I felt as if I were suffocating. In all honesty, I wish this were all a dream, a dream I want to end.

I glanced towards the moonlight that shone brightly through the window, thought about all the lunatic nights Axel, Scar, and I would spend together. If things ended badly, I really don't know how I'd feel. It was easy to say that I would be fine, that I'd be able to smile and to not be afraid. But being able to actually feel like that is a very different story.

"Scar.." I whispered to the nothingness around me, "Give me your hand and save me.." I felt myself start to lose track of reality. "I need your love before I fall…"

"I hope you're not talking to me." I jolted up, turning to look at Roxas who was staring at me like I was crazy.

"You're finally here! Good!" I stood up and started dragging Roxas by his arm towards the door.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!"

"I need a drink and we need to talk. I know there's a 7th Heaven here so that's where we're going right now."

"Vanitas, I literally just got home." Roxas tried pulling away but my grip tightened. "Fucking hell, let me go Vanitas." I remained silent. I heard my brother sigh behind me and stopped struggling. "At least let me get a sweater or something. It's cold out."

Once arriving at the bar and getting settled in, I felt Roxas glare at me. "What's got you so mad?"

"Vanitas, I can't exactly be here." I raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm still not legally able to drink out in public. Just 'cause we're the owner's sons doesn't mean I'm free to do whatever I want here."

"Who says you're gonna drink at all? I do remember saying that _I_ need the drink. You stick to soda or whatever." Roxas scoffed at me and crossed his arms. "I just wanted to talk to be honest."

"About?"

"You."

"What do you want to know?"

"I'm not going to interrogate you. God damn." I downed my drink and immediately asked for another one. "I just want you to be honest with me."

"… this is about Axel?"

"Maybe. Look.." I looked down as I swirled my second drink in my hand, "I'm sorry for not being completely there while you were in high school. I know… things happened then and you closed yourself off to everyone, especially Ven, but…" I downed my drink again and stayed quiet for a moment.

"Vanitas-"

"I just want you to know that I'm here if you need to talk or something. I dunno." There was silence between the two of us. It started to feel awkward again, just the two of us sitting next to each other in silence while at a bar, but I guess it's much better than being here alone.

"Look, ok. I.. may have a crush on Axel.." I let Roxas continue, focusing on his words and the drink in front of me. "I don't even know how. We just started talking all of a sudden and then like… it became a daily thing."

"So…. The whole transferring universities ideas was..?"

"It's my idea. I just.. I felt like being able to spend time together would do us good you know? Instead of having to be this far apart and rely on the internet all the time. It could be a nice surprise, right?" I stifled a laugh. "What?"

"You seem like a broody little shit when in reality you're just a huge romantic. It's fucking hilarious." Roxas jabbed his elbow into my side, causing me to fall from my stool. "The fuck did you do that for!? I was just messing with you jeez!"

"You provoked me. Not my fault." I saw my brother look away and start to twiddle his thumbs. I got off the floor and straightened myself out before sitting down again. I gave him an awkward pat on his back.

"It's time for some advice from your big bro." I quickly ruffled his hair, grinning at him as he glared back. "Do whatever makes you feel happy. Make a decision you won't regret. But like I said before, these decisions need to be for the right reasons." I paused, trying to gather my thoughts, "Transferring universities is a process so you can't just up and leave. I also think that Axel would prefer you staying here and finishing what you started." I felt Roxas lean slightly towards me and I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, pulling him into half a hug.

~•~

I felt the chill air hit me as we walked out the of the bar causing me to shiver. I cursed under my breath for leaving so hurriedly until I felt something warm on my shoulders.

"I knew you were gonna forget a sweater. I did warn you."

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

"So how much longer am I gonna have to deal with your shit at home?" I gave him a playful punch on his shoulder.

"Today's the last day. I'm going back tomorrow morning."

"Thank g-" Our moment was interrupted by my phone's ringing as I quickly tried to take it out of my pocket. "You know, this needs to stop or else it's gonna become a big habit whenever we're together ." I hissed at Roxas before checking the screen. I remained petrified as I realized who was calling me. "Are you going to answer it?" I stared at Roxas, eyes wide with shock and he sighed before moving closer and answering the call for me.

" _Vanitas? Hello? Are you there?"_ Its been too long since I've last heard her voice that I felt myself get wrapped up in it in mere seconds. I felt my surroundings slow down and in this very moment, I felt a smile tug at my lips. Roxas mouthed that he was going home to leave me alone and I thanked him quietly.

"Hey Scar. Yeah, I'm here"

" _Can we.. talk for a bit?"_

"About?"

" _You know what I mean."_ I could sense her scowling through the call and for once this entire hell of a week, I felt at ease. I started walking towards the park nearby the University. The streets at night were surprisingly quiet but very much appreciated. " _Where have you been?"_

"I had a few jobs here in Twilight Town. I'm actually going home tomorrow. Didn't Axel tell you?"

" _He didn't. Kept saying he didn't know."_

"That fucker! He did know! I'm gonna have to get home soon just to kick his skinny ass!" I heard a chuckle from Scarlet and it made me giddy.

" _Ok so … 'bout the night of your birthday.."_

"Nothing happened if that's what you're worried about. You just walked into my room and crawled into my bed and fell asleep. I was just joking around that morning as well." _You didn't have to act the way you did though_. I refrained from saying that. I knew Scarlet well and I didn't want to make things worse. Silence had greeted me and I had to check to see if the call was still going. I had noticed Scarlet starting to act strangely before all this but I kept my worries to myself. Except I couldn't hold this back anymore. "Scarlet?"

" _Y-yeah? What is it?"_

"Are…" I took in a deep breath, "are you ok? Is there something wrong?" I could sense her hesitation to say whatever it is that was happening.

"… _Yeah. Yeah, I'm ok."_

"…and the whole hospital incident? That was nothing too…?"

" _It was just stress."_ I knew she was holding back, I knew she really wasn't ok. I was suddenly aware of everything around me, making me feel uncomfortable. _"Why…"_ Her voice cut through the thick silence that crept between us. I waited for her to finish the question. "… _You know what, never mind. I'm tired so I'm going to go to sleep. Good night Vanitas. Have a safe trip and see you tomorrow."_

"Alright, sleep well. And thank you." Scarlet ended the call and I stood there staring at my phone. I buried my losing heart and everything started to make sense, even the sadness I've been feeling. I finally realized my feelings clearly and I felt as if a weight was lifted from my shoulders.

I was in love with Scarlet.

I had finally realized that she is my everything.

* * *

 ** _Sooooooo thoughts?_**

 ** _Sorry for taking so long with this. I lost my inspiration a while back and I couldn't get it back until recently. Been in kpop hell so that did not help whatsoever and the first._**

 ** _Anyways, I'm glad I got to finish this though and I should be able to fIrish the story soon I hope._**

 ** _Please leave a review as that would be very much appreciated thank you~_**


	5. Gasoline

_**IM BACK**_

 _ **Ok so fair warning, the phone conversation between Scar and Vanitas makes another appearance here. Yeah, just letting you guys know bout that.**_

 _ **Enjoy~**_

 _ **DISCLAIMER: All Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and The World Ends With You content do not belong to me. Rayne belongs to the lovely**_ _Arisa Kiryuu **while Scarlet and this story both belong to me.**_

* * *

 _Scarlet_

I was on my knees breathing heavily, my hair damp with sweat and blocking my view. I kept my head down and eyes closed, trying to regulate my breathing.

"Well well. You've gotten better." I looked up, moving my hair to the side, to see my father smirking, "But you're not focused. Let's try this again. On your feet." He motioned me to get up. "Get ready." I had less than a second to react as I saw him lunge towards me, quickly stepping out of the way and blocking his attacks.

It's always been like this as far as I remember. Axel was usually the one taking care of both me and Kairi since my father was off working for days on end. Eventually, he changed our last names, dumped us off in front of Zack and Aerith's house, and disappeared. Whenever I saw him, which was only once every year, this was the only way we'd spend our time together. He'd train me for an entire day and then he'd be gone by the next.

Given that this was the only way we would see each other, I trained alone as a child in hopes of maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to spend time with the man that called himself my father more than just one fucking day.

It never happened though. He would only stay for a day and then left me alone again.

Every hit he blocked frustrated me. Every opening he found and took advantage of left me in pain. Years and years of training were always thrown down the drain after we sparred. I felt my blood boil because even after all these years, I still could not land a hit on my father at all. I realized too late that I got so caught up in my thoughts and memories when I was suddenly thrown in the air and slammed against the floor.

"You're just throwing punches at me. It's like you're not even trying, Scar. And on top of that, you're very distracted today." I kept my eyes closed, trying to calm my anger. "We should take a break." I opened my eyes and sat up quickly.

"No! I can keep going!" I watched as my father disappeared, ignoring me, and returned with towels and water bottles. He threw one of each towards me before he flopped himself on the ground.

I felt disappointment creep up inside me. _I'm not good enough yet…_ I laid back down and closed my eyes again after drinking the entire bottle of water, this time to let my mind wander. I thought back to the day I first arrived in Destiny Islands. Axel was ten and held my hand along with Kairi's, both of us two at the time.

Back then, Kairi nor I knew what was happening, didn't even know if my father would return. All we knew was that we were no longer Sinclairs, instead Aldaines, and that we would be living with a couple we didn't know.

Axel had accepted it and, apparently, so did Kairi, happily walking towards our new parents. I, however, looked back to see my father's figure grow evermore distant as the seconds passed. It took me a long time to accept Zack and Aerith as my new parents, even now I still find it hard to call them Mom and Dad, because to me, my only family was Axel and Kairi.

And then a familiar pair of amber eyes appeared in my memories.

I opened my eyes and frantically sat up, forgetting where I was for a moment. Everything around me began to blur and darken from the sudden movement. Thankfully, everything cleared up and I sighed when I remembered I wasn't home.

"You ok there, Scar?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Wanna tell me what's wrong?" I shook my head, "You sure?" I simply opted to stay quiet. We spent a few minutes just laying there in silence, enjoying the calmness around us. My mind was anything but calm though, and I decided to break the silence.

"Dad.." I stared at the floor and felt my throat tighten as I hesitated to repeat the same question I have always asked, "Who is my mother?" I knew his answer, knew what he would say and I dreaded it.

"Now's not the right time, Scar." I hated those words, those words he had always told me my entire life.

"Then when?!" I hadn't meant to stand and raise my voice, the bitterness in it was clearly there. I balled up my hands, my body trembling from frustration. "It's never the right time!" I hadn't even let him speak to answer my question. However, my little outburst had created a headache, making me flinch slightly. My legs began to feel like jelly and they eventually gave out. I readied myself for the impact but suddenly felt a pair of arms keeping me up.

"Whoa there. Yeah, you're definitely not ok." He put my arm around his neck as support and helped me to a nearby room. He put me down on the bed and dragged a chair to sit right in front of me. I looked down and waited for my father to say something but he remained quiet.

"Seems like I just can't escape stress at all.." I let out a bitter chuckle and looked up to meet my father's eyes. "I went to the hospital a few weeks back. Axel told me I had fainted. I've been having very bad headaches and my memory's been shit too. I can't remember as much as I used to and it's irritating. Doctor said that stress is what caused it and told me not to stress myself in any way. That's why I walked out here but then you showed up and now this happened."

"How the hell was I suppo-"

"I'm not blaming you for this. I'm simply stating what happened." My father pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly unhappy that I interrupted him but said nothing about it.

"It's getting late." _No._ "I gotta go now." _NO._ "Will you be able to go back home alone?" Something in me snapped.

"FUCKING HELL!" I slammed my hands on the bed. "I'm not some weak damsel in distress that needs to be taken care of! Am I such a nuisance for you that you don't want to be around me?! Or am I just not what you expected?!" The words simply flowed out and I had no control of it.

"Scarlet-"

"YOU LEFT US! You left us with the Fairs and disappeared! And then you have the balls to appear suddenly after _several years_ and for what? To train me for just one day every fucking year?!"

"SCARLET." I glared at my father, waiting for him to say what he needed to say. "Scarlet, there's so much that you still don't know! And you need to understand that the kind of job I have is dangerous for the people I care about! You are _my_ daughter and me being here is risky enough already!" I looked down as I listened to him. "I'm training you because _I know_ what you're capable of. And you know what, you're probably right. It is about time I told you everything but right now is not the best moment."

He promised me that he would tell me soon, whatever 'soon' actually meant, and left. I stayed behind in the castle, wanting to have more time to myself.

~•~

The red, orange, and purplish hues adorned the dusk sky as the sun hid behind the buildings surrounding my home. It was calming and very beautiful to see, I only wished I could have had more time to enjoy it. When I finally reached the apartment, I opened the front door and was welcomed to the smell of food and the sight of Axel sprawled across the sofa completely free of clothes as he watched TV. "AXEL OH MY GOD, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" I quickly covered my eyes after closing the door behind me, hearing Axel swear followed by a loud _thump_ as I passed by the living room and practically ran into my room.

"Woman! You fucking scared me!" I ignored him, my attention focused only on one thing: my phone.

It was exactly where I left it, on top of my bedside drawer. I walked towards it, hesitating to check if anything had happened while I was gone, and I just stood there.

"Do you want to call him?" I turned around, startled to see Axel leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed. "I don't even know why I'm asking if I already know the answer."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do. Or do you never think why you feel a certain way sometimes?"

"Again, I don't know what the funk you're talking abo-"

"Vanitas. I'm talking about you and Vanitas."

"You know what Axel, whatever the fuck is between me and Vanitas _is between me and Vanitas_ and you, quite frankly, shouldn't really give a fuck about what's happening." I spat out words that hadn't even cross my mind but regretted the moment they spilled out of my mouth. I could only see how Axel's face hardened and how he moved away from the doorway to walk towards me.

"Listen, _sweetheart_ , I do actually give a fuck because you are my sister and he is my best friend."

"For the last time, we aren't siblings!"

"I TOOK CARE OF YOU AS A CHILD! YOU AND KAIRI BOTH! WE GREW UP TOGETHER SO DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE IMPLY THAT WE AREN'T FAMILY!" His voice echoed throughout my room, making me freeze in place. Out of all the years we've been together, Axel never really yelled during an argument so right now, in this precise moment, shock overtook me.

A few moments of silence passed before he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You two are gonna be the death of me, I swear…"

"Axel, I'm-"

"Save it, Scar. I'm going out to clear my head." My eyes followed him as he walked out, listening to the clanging of keys and then the front door shutting.

I stood there, looking towards my doorway with my phone still turned off in my hand. "Dammit, what the hell is wrong with me.." Axel and I never really fought, at least not this bad. But recently…

 _It's like we're both changing.. like we're beginning to drift…_

It honestly hurt, it hurt because I felt things were changing and our little trio would be separated soon.

Once I finally turned on my phone, I was flooded with missed calls and text messages, all from one number. _Vanitas.._ These past few weeks had been hell and I must admit I missed having him home.

One by one, I read each text from him, messages that just didn't make sense sometimes. I then listened to the voicemails he left and the last one caught my attention.

' _Heyyy, 's me agaiiin. I, uhhhhh..'_ He's drunk. I could literally hear hiccups before I heard someone else talking. _'God damn drunk for a brother I swear to God. Give me your phone Vanitas before you say something embarrassing that you will regret.'_ It sounded like Roxas now. _'Sorry, Scarlet. Please answer his fucking calls soon 'cause I'm so close to kicking his broody ass. Bye.'_

I couldn't help but let out a laugh at he thought of Roxas trying to do just that. "What… what idiots!" I said in between breaths. I was finally able to calm down, a small smile still present. My finger hovered over Vanitas' name before finally deciding to call him. It rang several times before I finally heard someone pick up. Then silence.

"Vanitas? Hello? Are you there?" It seemed like an eternity until I finally heard an answer.

" _Hey Scar. Yeah, I'm here."_ I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding back. Relief.

"Can we.. talk for a bit?" I had no idea why I felt nervous all of a sudden.

" _About?"_ I pursed my lips at his unnecessary question.

"You know what I mean. Where have you been?"

" _I had a few jobs here in Twilight Town. I'm actually going home tomorrow. Didn't Axel tell you?"_ And there it was. Axel.

"He didn't. Kept saying he didn't now." I tried to keep my voice calm but I felt as irritation started to build up.

" _That fucker! He did know! I'm gonna have to get home soon just to kick his skinny ass!"_ I couldn't help chuckling at his remark, immediately calming me down.

"Ok so… 'bout the night of your birthday.." Vanitas quickly interrupted me, a almost like he was expecting this.

" _Nothing happened if that's what you're worried about. You just walked into my room and crawled into my bed and fell asleep. I was just joking around that morning as well."_ I sensed a slight pause, like he wanted to say something else but decided against it. I stared off into nothing, thinking about what this newfound information and realizing I was such an idiot. _"Scarlet?"_ His voice brought me back to reality.

"Y-yeah? What is it?" I heard him take a deep breath.

" _Are… are you ok? Is there something wrong?"_ His question caught me off guard once again, my thoughts betraying me. I didn't want to worry him. I didn't want to become a burden to him. I didn't understand why though.

"… Yeah. Yeah, I'm ok."

"… _and the whole hospital incident? That was nothing too…?"_

"It was just stress." Silence spread between us and a nagging question swam across my mind. "Why…" _weren't you at the hospital that day?_ I wanted to ask it but decided it really wasn't worth it. "… You know what, never mind. I'm tired so I'm going to go to sleep. Good night Vanitas. Have a safe trip and see you tomorrow."

" _Alright, sleep well. And thank you."_ I hurriedly ended the call and felt my heart racing. _Just what the hell is happening to me?_ I groaned and decided to just crawl into bed. Tomorrow was a new day after all.

~•~

"Scar? Axel? Anyone?" I groaned as I felt the sunlight peak through the blinds. I tried turning away from my window, curling up under my covers when I heard my door open. "Scar." I opened up one of my eyes to see Vanitas crouching besides my bed. "Hey, I'm home."

"…can see that." I closed my eye, trying to go back to sleep but to no avail. I felt the bed shift which only meant one thing. "Van, what're you doin?"

"I'm tired, let me sleep here."

"You have your own bed dammit." He ignored me. Of course he did. I let out a sigh and scooted over so he had room to lay down comfortably. I felt him staring at me so I opened my eyes. What I didn't expect was to see him so close to me and smiling, albeit barely noticeable. I felt my cheeks start to burn and my heart flutter but I ignored it all.

"I've missed you and I'm sorry for being an ass sometimes." I hummed in response after closing my eyes.

"You're an idiot."

"Yeah, yeah I am."

"And you're also forgiven. Let's just.. put this behind us please."

"I can agree to that." I felt happy. I didn't know why, and I really didn't want to think about it, but I felt genuinely happy.

* * *

 _ **So... thoughts? I know I took so long to get this chapter up (blame BTS I swear to god) but I'm happy with the result :)**_

 ** _Anyways, thank you for reading and please review! I'd appreciate it sooooooo much!_**

 ** _See you guys till the next chapter!_**


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